AirPods are the new iPod earbuds

Or, anecdotally, let’s take my beloved home of Chicago. I travel in and around the city quite a bit and AirPods are everywhere. They’re on the train, in the parks, on sidewalks, in meetings, at desks, in bars, and at large, busy outdoor public events.

AirPods are also used by everyone. Kids on the train, sometimes their parents, cyclists on the lakefront, post-millennials, all genders, exasperated businesspeople in suits on phone calls, joggers, tourists, pre-millennials, startup coworking types, the young, the old, intrallennials, you name it.

I wonder if AirPods are the most visible “there’s an Apple customer” since the first iPod and its earbuds. I think it’s more significant this time around, though, since AirPods are not included with any product (yet?). AirPods are a deliberate purchase.

They are also probably outside the realm of what many owners previously paid for headphones, if they ever have. If I’m right, going from paying $0 to $159 for headphones seems like a big deal.

Like any company, Apple has had its stumbles lately. But the AirPods seem like a phenomenon on another level. I’m excited to see how Apple evolves them.